Songfics
by WitchatHeart77
Summary: Various Songfics That I have done for contests or personal pleasure. All have been previously posted seperately. As I write more, will add as new chapters. They are not a continuing story. Artist Credited at beginning of each chapter!
1. Someone Says

**_MY COLLECTION...Various songfics, either for contests or for personal pleasure, all in one location. Each chapter is a new Songfic and in no way is a continuation of the one before it, however I have thought of stringing them together somehow. Oh well, that bunny hasn't fully developed and is hopping around on one leg at the moment. So we shall just enjoy them as they are. Enjoy!_**

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**_AUTHOR NOTE: Contest submission for the Hideaway. Written to the song "Someone Says" by Editors. One shot. COMPLETE!_**

He had walked the street many times before, mulling over his thoughts. He never suspected that he would miss his old life. Every day had been filled with anxiety, frustration, even hope. Yes, Severus Snape had hope. He hoped to find himself free of the daily torment of little children whining about their writing hand cramping. He hoped to find himself free of the ever-daunting presence of Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. He hoped to find himself free of a life filled with fear, desperation, loneliness, and enslavement. His hope became reality.

Three years ago, the Dark Lord fell by the hand of Harry Potter. It was a lengthy battle, and had its fair share of casualties. Such a soft word for such harsh terrors. Casualties of war. As if it's customary and accepted that many should die in battle.

Severus left the battlefield that day clutching his left arm, the mark all but disappeared. It had no meaning other than to remind him from here on out that even the most cunning can make mistakes and must learn from them.

He was living in a small village just south of Hogwarts. His name had been cleared of the murder of Albus Dumbledore, however he decided the wizarding world was not ready to accept it. He would rather leave it entirely than live every moment under scrutiny. Only a few believed with all their hearts that he was innocent: Minerva McGonagall, Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Hermione Granger. There were a few others, but only these four meant anything to him. Hermione Granger meant something to him.

She helped uncover the truth behind what happened that night on the Astronomy tower. She was the one to bring the pensieve evidence to the Wizengamot, and ultimately got his named cleared. She saved his life. A small debt in his eyes, but a wizard's debt no less.

Therefore, when she disappeared after the battle, after finding Ron Weasley dead, he made it his new life's journey to find her. To find her and thank her.

Several months had passed when he received word that a girl matching Hermione's description was seen outside Surrey. Within moments, he was casing the street side shops.

_**Someone said they saw you  
In the night and on your own  
There's beauty in the lonely  
You're the moonlight in this town  
Seems like every moment  
Is another from before  
Your eyes have nothing behind them  
Your arms and legs are sore  
**_

It was a wizarding community he soon discovered. The apothecary held many fascinations that he had used rarely. He kept the idea to visit the shop in the back of his mind. The children running the streets were dressed in their best robes, wands extended and emitting sparks. "Foolishness," he chided in his mind. His walk became a run when he caught a glance at the corner before him. Hermione was there.

Her usually unruly hair was pulled back in a bun with a few wispy curls framing her face. Her robes were fitted in the bodice and dark forest green in color. The neckline plunged slightly, yet the ensemble was demur enough for a public outing. Severus was ten feet away from her when she looked up. The shock on her face told him that she didn't want to be found.

_**Neighbour  
You've fallen in with the wrong crowd  
I've got so much to tell you  
In so little time  
Oh neighbour  
Keep things close to your heart  
If no one can help you  
Then how can I?  
**_

"Miss Granger."

"Professor?"

They stood staring at each other for what seemed like hours.

"Why are you here?" Hermione asked him.

He looked her over and noticed the difference. Her eyes were smeared with charcoal gray. Her lashes were thick and long. Her lips were blood red. Her skin was as porcelain. She was wearing a heavy coat of makeup and the template was completely out of character. This troubled him.

"What have you done with yourself, Hermione?"

She did a double take at his usage of her given name. "I beg your pardon, _Severus_, but I asked you a question. It is only polite that you answer me."

He straightened up and glared at her. "I, Miss Granger, am here to bring you back to your family."

"I don't have a family. You know that. They were killed. What do I have to go back to?"

He didn't say anything. He knew it was true. Voldemort made an example of her parents. Anyone who was associated with Harry Potter would learn what pain was. And for Hermione, that was one lesson she would have rather skipped.

"I understand. However, you were not the only one to lose someone close to them. Mr. Longbottom lost his grandmother. Miss Weasley lost Mr. Potter. I lost…when you…Let's just say I lost someone I didn't know I would care to lose until it was too late." He took a step closer to her. "You saved my life, Hermione. I have to repay that debt. I must take you back with me. Being here," he motioned around them, "will ultimately destroy you."

"What makes you say that? I am fine on my own. I have my own flat. I have a job…"

"But do you have friends? Do you have someone that loves you?"

She didn't say anything. She knew it was true. She didn't have any friends here. Everyone was busy within their own lives trying to live since their world was free from the tyranny of Voldemort. This was one of several communities lost in celebration. They had no fear. They had no inhibitions. It was the Sodom and Gomorrah of the wizarding world. Hermione thought that was what she wanted. To be free to do whatever she wanted. No tests, no rules, no war, no parents. Just freedom. She never realized how lonely freedom was.

"Come with me, Hermione. Let's take you home."

_**Someone said they saw you  
Said they saw it as a sign  
Well every single second  
Catches up the next in line **_

Neighbour  
You've fallen in with the wrong crowd  
I've got so much to tell you  
In so little time  
Oh neighbour  
Keep things close to your heart  
If no one can help you  
Then how can I?

"Why? Why you? Why couldn't Ginny come? Or Minerva?"

"I offered to come. I have yet to thank you for everything you did for me. And as such, I have a debt to repay."

"You already said that."

He was taken back. "Yes, indeed I did. I could say it again, but it would not depreciate the importance of paying it."

She smiled. "I suppose not."

Hermione looked around the intersection. Muggle cars, wizard carriages, and thestral and broom riders were traveling along the streets. She looked back to him. His hands were in front of him clasped gently together in front of his lower abdomen. His hair was lank as usual. His jacket was fitted nicely along his ribcage, the sleeves of which outlined the muscles in his arms. His long slender legs continued until the tops of his trouser legs rested on top of worn black leather boots. He looked inviting to a witch who had not been with someone in months, regardless of his demeanor or sour expression. For a split second, she wondered what it would take to break him down.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"No, no. Nothing's wrong. I was just wondering why you didn't just send an owl when you discovered where I was. Why come in person?"

"I had to see you. To thank you…in person."

"Well, you've done that. And you're welcome. Now, I must be going."

He reached his hand out and caught her arm just as she twisted away. His other hand reached up to stroke her cheek.

"No, I need to thank you." He leaned in and kissed her deeply.

_**Neighbour  
You've fallen in with the wrong crowd  
I've got so much to tell you  
In so little time  
Oh neighbour  
Keep things close to your heart  
If no one can help you  
Then how can I? **_

Someone said they saw you  
Someone said they saw you  
Someone said they saw you  
Someone said they saw you

He stepped back from the kiss and looked her in the eye. "I came to save you. You can't live without your family. Arthur, Molly, Minerva. They are you're family."

"What about you?"

"I am anything you want me to be."

She looked around once more. She wasn't sure she wanted to go back to the daily reminders of her former life. She had escaped for a reason. But now there was a completely new reason to live on standing in front of her.

Her eyes lifted to the night sky above them. The clouds seemed to roll in on a breeze. Within moments, the town was covered in a hard rain. She gazed back at Severus.

His hair was sodden and falling in his face. Tiny raindrops were trickling off the ends of the strands. The anxiety, desperation, and hope in his features made it seem as if the sky was crying for him and his tears were dripping through his hair.

"Be my savior. Help me go home."

His arms wrapped around her and held her close to his heart. The rain washing away all the insecurity, all the fear, all the sense of loss between them. They say water is a sign of rebirth. A sign of regrowth. A symbol of new existence.

With that thought, he apparated the two of them home.


	2. Because of You

_**I heard the song several times before, but it wasn't until a couple days ago that the story hit me. And even then I didn't realize it would take a turn like this in my head. Warning: I started to cry when I was writing it! I have to say, that this is my favorite piece so far…sniff.. Enjoy and please review for me so I know if I'm making anyone else happy. Written to "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson. This was the single most reviewed songfic, or fiction, I have to date. So many People to thank for your LOVELY thoughts!**_

"I came to tell you about what's happening today. I had to talk to you first. It's silly, I know, but you wouldn't understand, Harry. It took me years to decide if this is what I wanted. If this is what is right for me. Should I do it? What would I turn into if I didn't? I decided, Harry, that if I don't go through with this than I will hate myself for wallowing all these years. I'll grow old and gray, never letting myself feel this way again. It felt so wonderful with you, Harry. I want to feel wonderful again. I can't do this without talking to you about it first."

_I will not make the same mistakes that you did  
I will not let myself cause my heart so much misery  
I will not break the way you did  
You fell so hard  
I learned the hard way, to never let it get that far  
_

"I kept everyone away from me at the beginning. I didn't want to be touched by my family, let alone a man. I just didn't feel like… well, I didn't feel like feeling anymore. It took me days to leave my room. It took me weeks to leave the house. Months to leave the Burrow estate. Years to leave town. I couldn't leave, Harry. Everything around me reminded me of you. I wanted to be around that. I wanted to remember what we were. I wanted to feel you around me. I soon realized that I had to get out of there before I destroyed myself. You wouldn't have wanted that for me, would you? No, you wouldn't. You would have done everything in your power to keep me going had it been anyone else but you."

_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side  
So I don't get hurt  
Because of you  
I find it hard to trust  
Not only me, but everyone around me  
Because of you  
I am afraid _

"I kept going without you. It was hard, but I managed. It took time. It took lots of time. The first time I went to The Leaky Cauldron a guy walked up to me and offered me a drink. I started bawling, Harry. In public! I couldn't handle it. I kept to myself. I didn't want to be a part of anyone's life. I wanted to stay reclusive, separate from the energy of life going on around me. It's funny now that I think about it. How so many people were able to move on. I was furious how they could just forget so easily. But I recently understood that staying motionless and emotionless wasn't what you would have wanted for me."

_I lose my way  
And it's not too long before you point it out  
I cannot cry  
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes  
I'm forced to fake a smile, a laugh  
Every day of my life  
My heart can't possibly break  
When it wasn't even whole to start with  
_

"I was always cautious when I finally went out into the world to restart my life. It was too frightening to be alone. You were always there for me. For years, I could depend on you to be there helping me, guiding me, nudging me, saving me. I loved you, Harry. And I couldn't let myself feel that way again. I couldn't chance getting hurt again. I couldn't go through love and loss once more. I've had enough, Harry. I've had to endure enough."

_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side  
So I don't get hurt  
Because of you  
I find it hard to trust  
Not only me, but everyone around me  
Because of you  
I am afraid  
_

"We were bonded, Harry. You and I were inseparable. I couldn't stand to lose you. That day was surreal. From the moment I woke up in your arms to the moment Remus walked in the door, I was barely alive. I can't explain it, but something in me knew it was going to happen. I knew I was losing you. And yet, I did nothing to stop it. I didn't ask you stay. I didn't fight you. I let you go. I let you walk out that door. I don't know what happened to this day. All I know is he got you the same time you got him. It was supposed to be. Remus said you fought gallantly. Trust him to use the big words. I wish I could have been there to kiss you goodbye. To show you how much I loved you. I regret not holding on to you long enough to remember what you felt like against me."

_I watched you die  
I heard you cry  
Every night in your sleep  
I was so young  
You should have known better than to lean on me  
You never thought of anyone else  
You just saw your pain  
And now I cry  
In the middle of the night  
Over the same damn thing  
_

"I knew you had to do it, but I was jealous. The world needed you, but I wanted to keep you all to myself. I wanted you there with me. If I was stronger, I would have stopped you. If I wasn't so afraid of what would happen, I would have asked you to stay a bit longer. I would have asked you to hold me once more, to kiss me once more, and to make love to me once more. But I didn't and I closed myself off to the world."

_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt  
Because of you  
I tried my hardest just to forget everything  
Because of you  
I don't know how to let anyone else in  
Because of you  
I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty  
Because of you  
I am afraid _

Because of you

"I finally realized, Harry, what you did for me. Because of you, I learned to love. Because of you, I learned pain. Because of you, I learned fear. Because of you, I learned sorrow. Because of you, I learned how to hope. Because of you, I learned despair. Because of you, I learned happiness. Because of you, Harry, I learned how to live. So that is what I'm doing today. I am going on with my life. I am getting married today, Harry. I just wanted to let you know that I could never love him as much as I loved you, but you taught me how to love and conquer my fears. I matured onto a level of existence that can't be explained. I have learned so much from you, Harry. I felt I owed it to you to tell you that I've accepted it, and have moved on, too. I love you, Harry Potter. I always have, always will. Goodbye."

Ginny lifted the satin of her white wedding robes from around her legs. She stood up and leaned over to place a single white rose on the tombstone, and then she walked away.


	3. Coming in the Air of the Night

_**"Coming in the Air of the Night" By Phil Collins...Harry/Voldemort Last Stand.**_

Harry took a last look behind him. Hermione and Ron were keeping the Death Eaters off him for as long as possible. Harry knew it was now or never.

"Voldemort!" He shouted rather unsteadily.

"Harry," came the hissing reply from straight ahead. Harry looked up into those red eyes.

"Shall we do this?" Harry asked.

"Let's."

_I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord  
I've been waiting for this moment, all my life, Oh Lord  
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord, Oh Lord_

There was only silence now that the battle weary patrons were watching the center of the action. The adversaries just stood there glaring at each other, waiting for the other to flinch.

_Well, if you told me you were drowning  
I would not lend a hand  
I've seen your face before my friend  
But I don't know if you know who I am_

"You hesitate, Potter. That is something I did not expect from you." The Dark Lord began to pace back and forth, sizing up his competitor.

"You don't know me well enough to presume anything, Voldemort." Harry began to counteract the pacing exactly opposite of his arch nemesis. Voldemort would walk left. Harry would walk to the right. The entire time not taking their eyes off each other.

_Well, I was there and I saw what you did  
I saw it with my own two eyes  
So you can wipe off the grin, I know where you've been  
It's all been a pack of lies_

_  
And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord  
I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, Oh Lord  
I can feel it in the air tonight, Oh Lord, Oh Lord  
And I've been waiting for this moment all my life, Oh Lord, Oh Lord_

"What are you waiting for? Scared to die? The chosen one afraid to see his parents again?" Voldemort hissed, straightening his robes for no reason other than to show his foolhardy confidence.

Harry stopped pacing. "I have been waiting for this moment all my life. What's a few more minutes?"

_Well I remember, I remember don't worry  
How could I ever forget, it's the first time, the last time we ever met  
_

"Do you remember that night, Harry? Do you remember seeing your mother die? She didn't have to. She could have run. She could have left you to die, that fool of a woman," the Dark Lord said as he turned to face Harry.

"Nothing you can say will get to me, Voldemort. I know why she died. I know you killed her. You never had a life. Would your parents die for you, Tom? Would your mother give her last breath to save you?" Harry took a deep breath. He knew it was coming.

"CRUC--"

"PROTEGO!" Harry was still standing. He looked again on those red slits. "It hurts doesn't it? Knowing no one loved you. Knowing you weren't good enough to be loved. But I was. My mother blessed me with her death. She blessed me with the deepest love. You will never know what that feels like. You can take all the blood you want from me, Voldemort, but you will never know love. Dumbledore knew it would be the death of you. He knew that as long as I knew I was loved, you would die."

_But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no you don't fool me  
The hurt doesn't show; but the pain still grows  
It's no stranger to you or me _

And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord...

The curses began to fly. The sparks and wisps of smoke began circling around the two of them. There was a whisper of a curse hanging in the air soon after. The lingering sound of which bringing forth gasps from Death Eaters and Order members alike. Someone had muttered the Killing Curse. The smoke loomed in the late afternoon sky obscuring their view. A moment had passed when a silhouette emerged from the cloud. A small frame of a man. Harry Potter became once again The-Boy-Who-Lived.


	4. It's been a while

"It' Been a While." By Staind...Draco's Decision.

Draco sat at the table, quill in hand. He knew he wasn't going to live. The Dark Lord will find him. It was this fear that led Draco to get his affairs in order. To tell what he's wanted to say to the people whom he wanted to know these things. He had written Potter and Weasley. He told them he was truly sorry for all the years of heartache he bestowed upon them. He wrote to his mother and apologized for failing. He wrote to his father, denouncing the Malfoy name. It was time he wrote to her.

And it's been awhile  
Since I could hold my head up high  
And it's been awhile  
Since I first saw you  
And it's been awhile  
Since I could stand on my own two feet again  
And it's been awhile  
Since I could call you

It's been a year. Voldemort had not made his attempt on Hogwarts. The battle had not yet occurred. Draco had been in hiding for months. He was lonely. Professor Snape was occasionally in the same room, but not often. He let his quill touch the parchment once more; a motion he had made several times without writing a word.

And everything I can't remember  
As f up as it all may seem  
The consequences that I've rendered  
I've stretched myself beyond my means

He began telling her of the moment they met. Bushy hair aside, she was still beautiful. She was the most intelligent person he has ever met. But with all her knowledge, she wouldn't understand the choices he had to make.

And it's been awhile  
Since I can say that I wasn't addicted  
And it's been awhile  
Since I can say I love myself as well  
And it's been awhile  
Since I've gone and f things up just like I always do  
And it's been awhile  
But all that sh seems to disappear when I'm with you

He wrote about why he managed to be around her. Even with insults slipping off his tongue, he had to be around her. He had to talk to her. He wasn't alone with her enough, he wrote. They never got the time to be completely alone so he could get out the emotions he wanted to show her.

And everything I can't remember  
As f up as it all may seem  
The consequences that I've rendered  
I've gone and f things up again

Another mistake, he wrote. Another thing to be wrong about. To tell her she was unworthy of his love. To tell her she was useless flesh. The parchment began to be dotted with drops of tears.

Why must I feel this way?  
Just make this go away  
Just one more peaceful day!

He told her about how he wanted to go back and start over. To be at peace at last with the woman that challenged his mind and his heart. She would never forgive him, he deduced. But he had to write her an apology. He had to find some solace.

And everything I can't remember  
As f up as it all may seem to be I know it's me  
I cannot blame this on my father  
He did the best he could for me

And it's been awhile  
Since I could hold my head up high  
And it's been awhile  
Since I said I'm sorry

He wrote that he didn't want her hating his father. That his father was also blinded by a madman's tales of power and domination. He only wanted Draco to survive. But following Lord Voldemort was the sure way to die. Draco realized that before it was too late. He stood there and watched the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes slowly fade. He knew he had to make changes before he ended up the same way. He wrote all this in his letter. He had signed it…

"I'm sorry, Hermione. Although you won't believe me, I love you. Draco."

He walked out to the garden behind the house. He held his head up high for the first time in years. He had made the right choice for the first time in months. He was ready to end the pain of all the trouble he caused.

"I'm sorry," he said as he held his wand up to his heart and muttered two last words.

"Avada Kedavra."


	5. Memories

_**"Memories" By Within Temptation...Ginny dwells on memories of Harry.**_

The cold damp grass seemed to flow over her bare feet as she stepped. She reached the edge of the memorial. Her hand traced the names of those that had fallen. Some she knew, some she didn't. Her fingers found the names of those from Hogwarts. His name was there. She was unsure why they decided to put him on the list. There was no evidence he died. She was there to witness what happened. He just simply vanished. "_He could be alive_," she kept telling herself. His body had never been found.

Memories, memories, memories

In this world you tried  
Not leaving me alone behind  
There's no other way  
I'll pray to the gods: let him stay

The memories ease the pain inside  
Now I know why

He made her so happy. In the last few days, he took back what he said about wanting her to keep her distance from him. He realized that Dumbledore had been right. Love can conquer all. He knew then what the old bloke had been talking about. Harry needed love in order defeat the Dark Lord. At the end of fourth year, Voldemort took his blood and made him resistant to the bond Harry's mother made with her life. Harry needed to renew that love. He found out in time that Ginny could give him the chance to defeat Voldemort. Ginny loved him. And he loved her. It was the moment before Voldemort arrived that they both confessed all to each other. The exhilaration in their hearts and warmth in their souls from their newborn love made them feel invincible. So, Harry went to face him. There were moments of fear, turmoil, and regret on Ginny's part. Then there was a loud crash and lots of light. Ginny opened her eyes to see the ground singed and nothing left where the two had been dueling, not even their bodies. Something inside her wanted to believe that he had simply been transported to another plane of existence, and that one day he would come back to her. It has been almost ten years, and still she waits for his return as faithful and devoted as the first time they kissed.

All of my memories  
Keep you near  
It's all about us  
Imagine you'd be here  
All of my memories  
Keep you near  
The silent whispers  
The silent tears

The memory of that first kiss lingered in her mind as her fingers lingered on his name carved into the white marble. It was perfect. It was unplanned, completely spontaneous, and passionate. She remembered the last kiss they shared. It's passion seemed to derive from something deeper within them both. It was true love. She knew that. He knew that. It was what made their bond strong. She had promised him that no matter what happened she would do her best to survive. To live on and be happy. He told her that he would go willingly if she was to live in safety for the rest of her life. She agreed. She was safe now. But she was unhappy. The only happiness she received was when her memories of him played out in her mind. She would sit for hours in front of the memorial, remembering everything they ever did together, every touch, every kiss, and every word spoken. That is how she found true happiness.

Made me promise I'd try  
To find my way back in this life  
I hope there is away  
To give me a sign you're okay  
Reminds me again  
It's worth it all  
So I can go home

With every visit, she stayed a bit longer, worried that if she went home, she would miss his return. She would miss the kiss that would be the first of many kisses to come. She vowed to keep herself for him and him alone, so that when he came back to her, she would prove she loved him more than life itself. She would sit on the stone bench and think of how it would be to give herself for the first time to him. The thought made her smile every time.

All of my memories  
Keep you near  
It's all about us  
Imagine you'd be here  
All of my memories  
Keep you near  
The silent whispers  
The silent tears

She stood up and walked back over to the marble having spent hours. With resignation, she decided to head back to the Burrow for some sleep. The sun was setting and illuminating the sky with dark hues of red and gold. "His colors," she thought with one last smile.

Together in all these memories  
I see your smile  
All the memories I hold dear  
Darling you know I love you till the end of time

She began down the path back to the gates. She turned to look behind her as she always did. She wanted to be sure he was truly not there before she left each day. This day there was something different about the silhouette she swore wasn't there. It appeared everyday she came. But she could always see the trees and flowers through it; a figment of her longing for him. She took a step closer. The silhouette took a step towards her. Something in her started to tumble. She knew it would happen. She knew he would come back. She knew all this time with everyone telling her she was crazy. She knew.

She broke out in a run towards him stopping just a few short feet away. She saw the familiar emerald of his eyes, the mussed black hair, and his trademark glasses.

"Harry?"

"My love."


	6. Never Meant To be So Cold

_**"Cold" By Crossfade...Severus regrets his attitude towards Hermione.**_

The graduation ceremony was lengthy. Ever too lengthy for him to stand there in the shadows of the forest trees hiding his curious eyes. He could see them all lining up and taking their diplomas. He saw Headmistress McGonagall transforming their house robes to Hogwarts graduate robes as they past her. They were all so happy. All except one. She had her head bowed, and he could tell that when Professor Flitwick called their names, she began to cry. It was hard on everyone to view two of the empty seats in the Gryffindor House rows. Harry Potter died soon after he defeated Voldemort. Ron Weasley died in battle at the hands of Draco Malfoy, who was also among the dead when it was finished. He looked up at her again. She was crying again.

_**Looking back at me I see  
That I never really got it right  
I never stopped to think of you** _

He wanted to hold her. For some reason, she was not a kid to him. He hadn't viewed her as such since the end of her sixth year. She stood beside Harry and Ron. She defended them. She assisted them. She loved them. They were her extended family. He couldn't hold her. He was being hunted.

_**I'm always wrapped up in  
Things I cannot win **_

If only he had not agreed to become a follower of the Dark Lord, maybe things would be different. If he had only knew that he would fall prey to death and carnage over the years, he could have prevented this. But now, he had escaped Lord Voldemort's wrath, only to stand in the wrath of the Ministry, the Order, and the woman he loved. There wasn't any way for him to prove his innocence. He had to stay on the lam. He knew his one hope was to convince her, and she would help him. She was his hope. She was the hope that kept him going.

_**You are the antidote that gets me by  
Something strong  
Like a drug that gets me high **_

It didn't matter if he was a spy. There were too many witnesses that night. He had killed Dumbledore. The old bloke told him to. It was his duty to follow orders. But she wouldn't understand. In her infinite knowledge and insufferable hunger for the truth and solutions to every problem, she may not understand. He regretted ever addressing her as that insufferable know-it-all, for her intelligence could be his only path to freedom.

_**What I really meant to say  
Is I'm sorry for the way I am  
I never meant to be so cold to you **_

They were concluding the ceremony when he realized that Hermione was standing alone towards the back of the people. She was close. He debated on what to do, and before he could refuse himself…

"Miss Granger." He whispered. She didn't move. He opened his mind and focused on her. "Hermione," he said using his Legilimens skills.

She jerked her head around and stared into the dark nothingness beneath the trees. She was about to turn around when she saw the reflection of the summer sun in his eyes. She couldn't see who it was, but her curiosity was more than she could stand. Hermione approached the trunk of a very old maple tree just a few yards away. He decided it was now or never, and stepped out from behind the oak in front of her. He clapped his hands over her mouth just as she was beginning to scream.

"No, don't. You are not in danger. I am here to ask for your help. The Dark Lord is vanquished, and I am no longer his servant, nor have I been for quite some time. You must believe me. I will unhand you only upon your promise not to scream. Nod your head if you understand." She nodded. He removed his hand and led her by the arm deeper into the darkened forest. When the graduation ceremony was out of earshot, he turned to her. His breath caught in his chest at her beauty. Her angry eyes always entranced him.

"What do you think you are doing here, Snape? I should run screaming to Mr. Weasley!" She bellowed.

"I understand your position, Miss Granger. But I must ask you for your assistance," he said with pleading eyes. She never noticed his eyes before. They were always so cold and calculating, but now they were warm. She couldn't decipher if it was fear or regret that washed across his face, or a little of both. She stood there against her best interest and allowed him to proceed.

_**And I'm sorry about all the lies  
Maybe in a different light  
You could see me stand on my own again **_

"I know you do not trust me. I have led you all to believe that I have been under Lord Voldemort's thumb all this time. I assure I was not. I must be able to prove my innocence, Miss Granger. I must be able to win back my freedom. Only you can help me do that," he told her. She looked at him as if he just assigned a thirty foot essay on the extraction of bubotuber puss. "Something wrong, Miss Granger?"

"You want my help? You led Voldemort here to kill almost everyone I hold dear and you want my help? Have you gone insane?" She was yelling loud enough to draw attention from the crowd of people leaving some meters away. He clapped his hand over her mouth again.

"Do be quiet, Miss Granger. I have no wish to begin running again today. I am asking for your help. I regret my decisions, yes. But they have been in the best interest of the Order and the success of Mr. Potter. I have no desire to relive the failures in my life with you at the present moment. I need you to believe me. You must trust me."

_**I never really wanted you to see  
The screwed up side of me that I keep  
Locked inside of me so deep  
It always seems to get to me**_

"I don't know if I can," she said and then turned to run back to the edge of the forest. His heart plummeted. His heart's desire was walking away. To his relief, she suddenly stopped and turned to face him. "I can't trust you. I did that once. I even went so far as to defend you, but you lied to me. You lied to everyone. Whether you are guilty or innocent is not my judgment to make, but the trust I had in you… you are guilty of shattering into oblivion." With that said, she ran back to the castle.

That evening, after most everyone had been home with their families for hours, she stood on top of the Astronomy Tower gazing into the night sky. "He could have been telling me the truth," she thought. She looked down at the patch of trees where they had talked. She felt the pang of guilt wash over her. He was gone, and there was nothing she could do to help him now.

_**I never really wanted you to go  
So many things you should have known  
I guess for me there's just no hope  
I never meant to be so cold**_


	7. Unchained Melody

**_"Unchained Melody" By Righteous Brothers... Ginny and Harry have one last dance before the big fight of the war._**

The celebration was winding down. They needed more time together. Harry walked over to the wireless and casting a simple spell, made an old song begin to play.

"I heard this at Sirius's house one day. It reminded me of you," he said as he walked back over to Ginny, took her by the hand, and led her to the middle of the sitting room floor.

Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled her face into his chest. Harry stood there with the woman that held that key to his heart.

_Oh, my love, my darling  
I've hungered for your touch, a long lonely time  
And time goes by, so slowly and time can do so much  
Are you, still mine?  
_

There had been plans to celebrate life in the face of death. The Order had gotten word that the strike on Hogwarts would be happening tomorrow. Harry would face Voldemort for the last time. This was the last moment he and Ginny would have alone together before the fight. He had told her that it wasn't the right time for them. He was lying to himself. He found himself needing her more and more this year. He needed to know she loved him and he needed her to know he loved her back. Tonight was the only time he had left.

"Ginny," he began. "If something happens, I have to make sure you know I love you."

Ginny pulled back from the dance and looked into his eyes. She saw fear, and, yet, she saw comfort. She knew he had a difficult time preparing for tomorrow. She knew that she would be there for him, no matter what he had said at the end of last year.

"You know I love you, Harry. I always have. Never stopped." She tiptoed and met his lips with hers softly.

The last of the partygoers were on their way to bed or back home. Ginny and Harry were left alone to dance their last dance with the music.

_I need your love, I need your love  
God speed your love to me _

"Ginny," he whispered.

"Hush. Just hold me."

_Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea  
To the open arms of the sea  
Lonely rivers cry, wait for me, wait for me  
I'll be coming home, wait for me _

My love, my darling, I've hungered for your kiss  
Are you still mine?  
I need your love, I need your love  
God, speed your love, to me

They danced for a while longer. When the music ended, Ginny took Harry by the hand and led him upstairs. He pulled away to enter his room, but she pulled him back to hers instead. She placed a silencing charm on the door.

"If something should happen tomorrow…" she started, but Harry sealed her mouth with his.


	8. Don't Cha?

**_Author Notes: "Don't Cha" by Pussycat Dolls...Heard the song and loved it. So here's my songfic. It's A/U, Nonexistent HBP. It's a seventh year idea for a Halloween party with no dead Dumbledore, cause let's face it, McGonagall would never allow for this! Hope you like it. Think Catwoman._**

One Chapter One Shot: Don't Cha?

"So, what are you going to be, Hermione?" Parvati was always asking her that question. The problem was Hermione wasn't sure what costume she would wear to the Halloween party. Dumbledore allowed the seventh years special permission to hold a party for them only. No lower grade students were allowed unless invited by a seventh year. The usual Halloween feast was to be held at seven with the party starting at nine. It was in less than one week and Hermione was still up in arms as to what to wear.

It had been three days since she told Parvati she didn't know about her costume yet. Hermione reached over to the brown wrapped package on her bed. She thumb through the muggle costume catalogs her mother sent. The wizard outfits made her laugh out loud. She turned a few more pages. There it was. It was perfect. She thought about the outfit and decided it would be perfect for her plan.

The next two days flew by. She was so excited she couldn't wait. Of course, if she didn't tell Parvati, she would end up killing the girl right there in the middle of the common room floor.

"It's a Victorian gown. But it's not as full. I thought about changing my hair blonde and slicking it back. I want to unnerve Malfoy," Hermione said with a hearty laugh.

"That would be great, Hermione!" Parvati seemed satisfied, and Hermione went back to their room to add the finishing touches.

The Halloween feast was nothing extraordinary, but fun. All the seventh years were getting the green envy evil eye from all the underclassmen. Hermione ate fast and ran back upstairs. She needed to make sure everything fit the way she wanted it to.

The party was starting and everyone was dressed up. You could tell who Harry was a mile away with all that chaotic black hair. Ron was, of course, equally as noticeable. Their dates made sure to make a fuss asking questions over who they were as to add mystique to their identities. They didn't want to take the wind out of the boys' sails.

Everyone was enjoying themselves immensely. Hermione was watching from the stairs, adoring the many creative ideas she saw swirling and mingling in the party room. Her punch had gotten the best of her and she moved to Ginny, Harry's date, that she was going to the little witches' room and would be back in a moment.

Less than five minutes after the main doors closed behind Hermione, they flew open again. Everyone turned to gape at the lady in the doorway. There wasn't a sound except for jaws dropping on the castle floor.

The figure seemed to glide across the dance floor and handed a silver disc to Remus Lupin, who was playing the part of musical attaché for the evening. The lady made her way back to the middle of the floor.

She had a black mask over her eyes and nose. The party goers could only see her ruby red plump lips. Her hair was dark and straight and hung halfway down her back. She was wearing a black cloak that swung through the air similar to Professor Snape's when he entered the classroom. She pulled her hands up, clutched the collar, and whipped it off. Her bare shoulders were exposed under a thin black patent leather strap that hugged around her neck and tied in the back. Her midriff was open for all to lay eyes on those well defined oblique muscles. Her hips were hugged by yet more black patent leather. The pants were tight. They formed around every curve her thighs and calves all the way down to the three inch patent leather pointed boots. She looked deadly. The music started. The lady in black walked over to Draco Malfoy and then looked at his date, Pansy Parkinson. The lady smirked, and started to dance.

_I know you like me (I know you like me)  
I know you do (I know you do)  
That's why whenever I come around  
She's all over you (she's all over you)  
I know you want it (I know you want it)  
It's easy to see (it's easy to see)  
And in the back of your mind  
I know you should be screwing me (babe) _

Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?  
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?  
Don't cha  
Don't cha  
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me?  
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me?  
Don't cha  
Don't cha

The lady in black had her back to Draco bumping her ass into his groin and bending her body back to lay her head on his chest. She turned to face him. She slid down his front, crouching in front of him with her knees apart. She slapped them back together as she stood slightly bent towards him and rubbed her chest against his as she came up. Her lips were a fraction of an inch from his when she backed up. She started across the floor again. This time with another target in mind. She was brazen.

_Fight the feeling (fight the feeling)  
Leave it alone (leave it alone)  
Cause if it ain't love  
It just aint enough to leave my happy home (my happy home)  
Let's keep it friendly (let's keep it friendly)  
You have to play fair (you have to play fair)  
See I dont care  
But I know She ain't gonna wanna share _

Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?  
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?  
Don't cha  
Don't cha  
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me?  
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me?  
Don't cha  
Don't cha

He was sitting at the table. Chaperoning was definitely not his thing. He sat there brooding until she came in, and then he was watching intently. Only a Slytherin could be this sexual and confident about it in the middle of a school function. He would have to search the dorm room later he reminded himself. In the mean time, he was going to privately enjoy the show. That is, until she walked towards him.

She bent her knees until they hit the floor and put her hands on his. She plowed her face straight into his lap, ignoring the ooo's and ahh's from the crowd around them. She lifted her face to meet his surprised gaze. He wasn't sure what to do. Sit there and let it happen, or deduct points from every house until the lady revealed herself. He decided on the first. She lifted herself from the floor only to straddle his lap. She could feel his arousal under her. She was surprised only for a moment and decided to work with it, grinding into his thighs.

_I know she loves you (I know she loves you)  
So I understand (I understand)  
I'd probably be just as crazy about you  
If you were my own man  
Maybe next lifetime (maybe next lifetime)  
Possibly (possibly)  
Until then old friend  
Your secret is safe with me Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?  
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?  
Don't cha  
Don't cha  
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me?  
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me?  
Don't cha  
Don't cha  
_

With the last of the chorus lingering on the air, the black lady slipped out of the large doors and disappeared.

"Who was that girl?" Harry asked Ginny.

"I have no idea. She went after Malfoy and Snape. She is probably a Slytherin," Ginny replied.

"Who?" Hermione asked stepping up to Harry and Ginny. She was pale and sweaty.

"Hermione? Are you ok?" Asked Ginny.

"Yeah, I'm just not feeling well. Spent the last five minutes in the bathroom," she whispered. "I think I'm going to go to the room and lie down. Have fun, okay?"

"Okay, Hermione. Rest well." Harry and Ginny said together.

Hermione went to her room and walked to the closet to get out her dressing gown and pajamas. She bent down to stuff the black patent leather boot back in its box. She smiled, and went to bed.


	9. No Giving Up

_**"No Giving Up" By Crossfade...Ginny confronts Harry over his decision to leave the wizarding world.**_

"Harry James Potter!"

He stood amongst the deafening applause. He was now an official Hogwarts Graduate. He slowly glided up to Headmistress Minerva McGonagall and shook her hand, accepting his diploma.

It took a full five minutes before the clapping and hollering died down enough for the next student's name to be called. It was then that Harry realized just how popular he was. He felt like he was stealing other students' thunder. Funny how it was something shaped liked lightning that made him well known. He had made a choice after he defeated Voldemort. He was going to leave the wizarding world behind. Harry knew wherever he went, his fame would follow him, but not in the muggle world.

He sat down beside his friends; Ron, Hermione, and Neville. He looked just off to his right to see Ginny and the rest of her family watching the commencement.

"You could stay, you know. There are other things worth staying for."

So you found out today your life's not the same  
Not quite as perfect as it was yesterday but  
When you were just getting in the groove  
Now you're faced with something new  
And I know it hurts and I know you feel torn  
But you never gave up this easily before  
So why do you choose today to give it all away

Harry turned to see the pained looked in his best friend's face. "I already told you, Ron. I had a purpose here and now that it's all over, I want to go back to being normal. I've had enough of all this celebrity."

"Is she not worth staying for?" Hermione asked.

"I didn't say that," Harry defended.

"You didn't say a lot of things," said Ron as he turned back around, almost grief stricken not only because he was about to lose his best friend, but also because his sister was losing the love of her life.

Well it's not so bad y'all  
Together we all fall  
Just as long we get up we'll stand tall  
We shouldn't waste another day  
Thinking 'bout the things that we forgot to say

Harry looked back to the auburn haired young woman that had captured his heart a year ago. There were so many things that he wanted to tell her. He wanted to say how much he loved her. How he should have took back all the things he said that day on the train. He wanted to tell her that he didn't want to be in the spotlight anymore. That he just wanted to be free from all the prying eyes to lead his life, possibly with her. However, he knew that he wouldn't have his Gryffindor bravery if he faced her.

I'm hittin' back y'all  
Kickin' these four walls  
Just as hard as I can til I can't crawl  
I won't waste another day  
With all these silly things  
Swimmin' in my brain

"What good it does to say what I think," he muttered to himself. He told himself he wasn't going to second-guess his decision. This is what he felt he needed to do. He needed some semblance of normalcy. He needed to leave. He needed to go back to being a muggle.

There's no giving up now  
Do you really want to give this all away  
Can't you ever see things in a different way  
Some days  
No giving up now  
Such a beautiful thing to throw away  
You should think things through  
Over and over again  
All over again

The reception was held in the Great Hall. The reporters were all over the place. Harry could hear their whispers.

"_The Boy-Who-Lived Graduates!"_

"_Harry Potter adds Graduate to list of titles."_

"_The Chosen One leaves Hogwarts!"_

Harry sighed as he heard their repeated musings of titles for the front-page articles. It was really too much. He sat down at a small table by himself in the corner of the room. He didn't hear her soft footsteps behind him.

"You really want to leave, don't you?"

Harry looked up to see the object of his affections sullenly looking at the floor. He reached over and took her hand in his. Harry pulled Ginny down into the seat next to him.

"I have to get away from all…this," he said as he gestured to the leering faces amongst the crowd, the photographers taking snapshots, the hoards of people trying to catch a glimpse of the famous Harry Potter and his now faded scar.

"Then come home with me. You can live there with us. You don't have to throw all this away," she said. She motioned with a nod of her head at Hermione charming paper butterflies for some children. She then directed his attention to Neville standing over a cauldron mixing another batch of punch. With another nod of her head, she pointed out the ceiling above his head.

"Do you remember when you came in here when you were eleven years old, Harry? Do you remember what it was like to see for the first time the enchantments that you only dreamt about? Have you forgotten the feeling of holding the wand in your hand as you made the feather fly that first day? This is a beautiful world, Harry. Don't throw it all away."

I know we have given  
All that we can give  
When there's nothing to lean on  
Well, I remember this  
All we make of this lifetime  
Is always here within  
And remembering that's why  
We should never give in

"Harry, look at me. If I told you something, anything, would you believe what I said?"

Harry thought for a moment and looked into her eyes. Those eyes that somehow could see straight to his heart and discover whatever lay hidden. "Yes, I would."

"The life you so regret has made you the man who you are today. The man I love with all my heart. You have done your best with what you have been given. It just so happens that your best is better than others. It doesn't make you some garish sideshow freak. It makes you who you are. Whatever we do with what life gives us makes us better people. Your life led you to a dark fate. One in which you had to defeat evil. You stood against him. You stood against him, Harry. How can you fight and defeat a Dark Lord, but living the rest of your life here frightens you to no end? You don't have to be frightened, Harry. And if you are, then that's okay. I'll be here for you. Let me help you see how beautiful this world can be."

Ginny leaned into him, placing a soft yet full kiss on his lips.

"This world can be ours, Harry. Don't give up on it. You and I can make it anything we want it to be. Together." She placed her hand on his cheek and looked into his emerald eyes.

"Together?"

"Forever."


	10. Innocent: Coventry Carol

**_"Coventry Carol" By Robert Croo circa 1534... The day after the final fight. Grotesque scenes, be aware!_**

The worst massacre to occur in the war so far happened on Christmas day. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were assigned the task of making a list of the names of the dead. Unfortunately, the assignment meant that the three of them had to walk amongst the corpses and survey the faces of the innocent.

**Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,  
By, by, lully, lullay.  
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child.  
By, by, lully, lullay.  
**

Hermione tread carefully around Death Eater masks still covering the faces of his followers to gain access to the young students who were mercilessly slain in the midst of the battle. She caught sight of white material beneath a bloody black robe. Hermione shoved the dead Death Eater out of the way. There laid a first year by the size of their body.

O sisters, too, how may we do,  
For to preserve this day;  
This poor Youngling for whom we sing,  
By, by, lully, lullay

She wrapped her arm carefully around the torso and gently tugged on the arm to coax the cold flesh to roll over. She met the face of a young girl. The young Hufflepuff had unruly brown hair. Hermione had to close her eyes to purge the image of herself lying on the cold ground, dead.

Herod the King, in his raging,  
Charged he hath this day;  
His men of might, in his own sight,  
All children young, to slay.

Her eyes shot open as she heard a small breath. She looked down into the glossy eyes of the girl. The young witch was alive, but barely.

"You're going to be okay. I am here to help you," Hermione said as she lifted a few errant strands of curls from the girls face. The young girl smiled weakly and allowed her eyes to close once more.

"No, don't go to sleep. Don't leave me. Stay with me." Hermione attempts were futile. The girl closed her fist around Hermione's hand and left this world in peace, knowing that someone came to look for her and she wasn't alone when she died.

**Then woe is me, poor Child, for Thee,  
And ever mourn and say;  
For Thy parting, nor say nor sing,  
By, by, lully, lullay.**

"Hermione?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes as she looked up at Harry and Ron. "She was a first year. She was in Hufflepuff. She was too young. She was innocent in all this."

Ron knelt down beside the girl and covered her face with a piece of cloth that he had been carrying.

"Come on, Hermione. We have work to do."

The three of them carried on.


	11. Right Here

_**"Right Here" By Staind...Snape writes a letter to his beloved.**_

To my beloved,

It's been a long journey. I have overcome many obstacles. I have been there for you, and you never gave me recognition. You thought I was above you, or you thought I was beneath you. Whatever your ideas, believe when I say that I was here for you.

I helped to destroy Lord Voldemort, but there were times you doubted me. I have only showed you and yours my faithfulness to the Light. I decided that moment when the Dark Lord fell that I needed to get away from all the speculations about my loyalties. I have traveled afar, and came upon a muggle device called a radio, very similar to our wireless, but with many different designs and functions. There is something called a CD, or as they say "compact disc" that is placed inside the radio and it plays music. I have discovered a song that says everything I ever wanted to say to you. Here it is.

_I know I've been mistaken  
But just give me a break and see the changes that I've made  
I've got some imperfections  
But how can you collect them all and throw them in my face  
But you always find a way to keep me right here waiting  
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting  
And if you chose to walk away I'd still be right here waiting  
Searching for the things to say to keep you right here waiting  
I hope you're not intending  
To be so condescending it's as much as I can take  
and you're so independent  
you just refuse to bend so I keep bending till I break  
But you always find a way to keep me right here waiting  
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting  
And if you chose to walk away I'd still be right here waiting  
Searching for the things to say to keep you right here waiting  
I've made a commitment  
I'm willing to bleed for you  
I needed fulfillment  
I found what I need in you  
Why can't you just forgive me  
I don't want to relive all the mistakes I've made along the way  
But I always find a way to keep you right here waiting  
I always find the words to say to keep you right here waiting  
But you always find a way  
To keep me right here waiting  
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting  
And if I chose to walk away would you be right here waiting  
Searching for the things to say to keep me right here waiting_

I have been here waiting for you to accept me for what I am. I am a man that has made mistakes. I am a man that has paid my restitutions for such errors. I have been waiting for your apology to no avail. Even if you never offer it, I will be right here waiting.

I sincerely hope that one day you can bring yourself to forgive me for what I have done in the service for the wizarding world. That, my love, is entirely up to you. I shall just say that I have loved you when you knew it not. I waited for the right moment when you were old enough to understand that bond. And still you did not trust me. You did not trust my feelings were genuine. I can accept that. But I will still be here waiting for you. I will be waiting for you to understand. I will be waiting for you with open arms, open mind, and open heart. My next task that sits before me is to wait. You keep me waiting. And I will do so willingly and effortlessly until you realize how I've changed into the man I am now. The man that loves you with all his heart. The man that never denied you any comforts. The man that stood beside you. The man that guided you in times of distress. The man that kept you safe. The man that one day you will recognize to be the only man you can ever truly love with your whole heart, mind, and soul. I will be right here. You keep me waiting.

With all my love,

Severus

_xxxxxx_

_**Up to you to decide who you want him to love!**_


	12. She's the One

-1"She's the one" By Robbie Williams…Hermione's inner self speaks out.

I sat in the library looking over the strategy for almost the thousandth time. It was expected of me to do it, me being the logical one. But that's just it. That's not always me. There are two of me; the one that takes action, and the one that is afraid I might be wrong.

_I was her she was me  
We were one we were free  
And if there's somebody calling me on  
She's the one  
If there's somebody calling me on  
She's the one_

The other Hermione is the one that comes to the rescue with the intelligence in this shared brain. I cower in the background hoping upon hope, biting my nails to the quick, worrying if it's the right course of action. If anything goes wrong, one little detail not planned out, then the whole situation is futile. That's why I have to hide in the corner and hope my better half shines in the moment.

_We were young we were wrong  
We were fine all along  
If there's somebody calling me on  
She's the one_

It's hard knowing that one day very soon my entire world can come crashing down around me. It's hard knowing that possibly everyone I hold dear will fall to evil. I can't stand up against that. I know that I will break, so that's why I have another part of me. Another part takes over when I can't handle it. She does what I cannot. She stands up for things about which I still have doubts. It frightens me to think of where I would be if she wasn't here inside.

_When you get to where you wanna go  
And you know the things you wanna know  
You're smiling  
When you said what you wanna say  
And you know the way you wanna play  
You'll be so high you'll be flying_

I'm proud of her. I have to say that much. She surprises me sometimes. How well she does what she does and in return makes me look good. She can overcome outrageous odds. I find myself often in a state of awe at her cunning, bravery, and intellect. I wish I could do what she does. I wish I could be the one. I wish I could be one. But I'm not. I'm two different people. A lowly coward worrying over every little thing; and the Gryffindor Know-it-all that is so sure of herself. I wish I could be so sure.

_Though the sea will be strong  
I know we'll carry on  
Cos if there's somebody calling me on  
She's the one  
If there's somebody calling me on  
She's the one  
_  
So I sit here in my own little corner of this vast expanse of knowledge, giving her room to find what she needs because I trust her. I know that whatever happens she will be there to give the information that we all need to hear. The clues that will ultimately lead us to victory in this time of damnation. I could never do what she does. But I know that she is the stronger one of us. I know that she will carry through even if I'm lost. But then, everyone loses the child inside themselves when faced with impossible circumstances. I suppose it will be my time. Her time to grow up. Her time to become an adult. And I know that she will be great. I know that she will succeed. I know.


	13. Behind Blue Eyes

**"Behind Blue Eyes" by Limp Bizkit….Songfic Contest from the Hideaway. See profile for URL.**

Draco looked out of the little rustic cabin's window. The night sky was blanketed with clouds. The moon shone brightly beyond them. He reflected on the decisions he has made and how his life had ended up just as clouded. He was to become a murderer. He had chosen that fate. But what did that make him now? Now that it's over. Now that he failed. Does that make him a hero for not standing up against the evil his father taught him from birth? Or, since he chose that life to being with, does it still make him a bad man?

_**No one knows what it's like  
To be the bad man  
To be the sad man  
Behind blue eyes  
And no one knows  
What it's like to be hated  
To be fated to telling only lies**_

To hide his identity; to lie to everyone about what he was about to become; he was perplexed. Young Mr. Malfoy discovered that although he wanted to please his father and his Master, he couldn't go through with it. He didn't know why he had reservations. He had hesitated. But why? What was that force keeping his wand down? What was the feeling going through his soul demanding that he not cast the spell? Was it fear, worry…guilt?

_**But my dreams they aren't as empty  
As my conscience seems to be  
I have hours, only lonely  
My love is vengeance  
That's never free**_

He fell asleep on the sill, curled up like a child after having been scolded or whipped. It would only take a matter of moments before they would arrive and teach him about his fate; about how he failed to do as the Dark Lord demanded. Would he die a coward or would he be known as the one who defied He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?

_**No one knows what its like  
To feel these feelings  
LikeI do, and I blame you!  
No one bites back as hard  
On their anger  
None of my pain and woe  
Can show through**_

His dream was elusive. Small snippets of images were fleeting in his mind's eye. He could see the face of Albus Dumbledore as he fell from the tower. He could see the stream of green light striking him in the chest. He could hear his mother's cries as they tortured her for demanding Severus Snape to interfere. He could feel the searing flames of Hell licking at his feet. He woke with a start and came to a realization. If it wasn't for his father, he wouldn't be in this situation. If he was allowed to grow to up and think for himself, none of this would be happening to him now. He realized that every belief he had been forced to swallow was wrong.

_**To be mistreated, to be defeated  
Behind blue eyes  
No one knows how to say  
That they're sorry and don't worry  
I'm not telling lies  
**_

The thunderous cracks broke the silence of the night. They had arrived.

**Author Notes: Gonna leave it like that. Gives a bit of a cliffy but to be honest, I like it better that way. **


	14. Everybody Wants to Rule the World

_**Author note: What a song! HAHA! Songfic contest to "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears for Fears…one of my favorite bands of the 80's, I might add! ...A Death Eater begins to show the signs of remorse. Up to you to read and find out who.**_

"**Welcome to your life.  
There's no turning back." **

Those were the infamous words Voldemort as the brand burned into my forearm. I asked what happenedto anyone if they tried to run. His response:

**"Even while we sleep  
We will find you."**

So, it was that fateful night I found myself running. Running from what could have been the single biggest mistake of my life. Make that the second biggest mistake. I haven't a clue what came over me. I knew there was nowhere to hide. He told the truth. He would find me. And he did have the power to find me in my sleep.

**Acting on your best behavior**

**Turn your back on mother nature**

**Everybody wants to rule the world**

I am the one that chose to follow the path. I am the one that bowed at his feet, kissed his hems, and extended my arm. I wasn't under the Imperius curse. I wasn't even drunk from Fairy Meade. I simply became a willing servant to a cruel and undeserving master. It's my fault this is happening to me.

**It's my own design  
It's my own remorse  
**

I think of the people who I've now disappointed. Even Dumbledore knew of my regrets. I could see it in his eyes before he died. Things will never be the same. It happened. I was involved. And now, I am a wanted man. I am wanted by both sides.

**Help me to decide  
Help me make the most  
Of freedom and of pleasure  
Nothing ever lasts forever  
Everybody wants to rule the world**

I find myself now huddled in a corner of a silent room far away from anything I've ever known. I am alone except for the torture that burns upon my skin. My soul cowers into the recesses of my mind. My future is hopeless. My life is void. It's dark here.

**There's a room where the light won't find you  
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down  
When they do I'll be right behind you  
So glad we've almost made it  
So sad they had to fade it  
Everybody wants to rule the world  
**

Darkness. That's what it's been. He would reward us for following our orders, but never did I realize that our victory was futile. He just wanted to prove that he could control us. He just wanted to rule the world.

I hate myself. I hate everything about me. I sit and think about what I can do to finish it. To become free of his tyranny. There is but one question, yet two answers. Who should do it? Allow him the pleasure or take it upon myself?

**I can't stand this indecision  
Married with a lack of vision  
Everybody wants to rule the world  
**

This mark is a true marriage with a lack of vision. I won't allow him to control me any further. My wand is only a few mere inches from my reach.

**Say that you'll never never never need it  
One headline why believe it ?**

**Everybody wants to rule the world**

Who would anyone believe the Daily Prophet? Who would care when the headlines read "Death Eater kills himself"? Who would care that I died? My family? Never. My friends? What friends? I suppose the decision is made then.

"**All for freedom and for pleasure  
Nothing ever lasts forever.**

I suppose my life is no different."

**  
Everybody wants to rule the world **

The Daily Prophet landed on the table with a thud as the residents of the house continued with their normal routines. No one noticed the headline that read: "Draco Malfoy dies by own hand."

_**Author note: Yeah, I realize that I've killed off Draco in a songfic before, but actually its not about hate.. It's about respect for the character as a Shakespearean Tragedy. I love Draco bunches. Just for the record.**_


	15. Broken

**_Songfic to "Broken" by Seether, Featuring Amy Lee. A year has passed and Ginny realizes how broken she is._**

Ginny sat and looked out across the field that drank in the blood of the lost. It has been one year to the day of the final battle. Her mother, Molly, allowed her to leave the Burrow to visit the place that took so much away from her that day.

She sat down on an old tree stump. The tree that stood here was broken by the spell that cut her brothers, Fred and George, down.

**I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh**

**I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away **

**I keep your photograph and I know it serves me well **

**I wanna hold you high and steal your pain **

She thought about the many times she would watch them setting up their jokes and their pranks. How they would laugh until they couldn't catch her breath. She remembered the tears the would streak their faces afterwards. And then her own tears began to fall.

**'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome **

**And I don't feel right when you're gone away**

**You've gone away, you don't feel me here, anymore **

Ginny pushed her ginger hair out of her eyes as a southern wind blew across the grass, bending it to its will. She looked up to the bare patch of grass that had been burned when Hermione took the brunt of a curse, and ultimately, her last breath.

**The worst is over now and we can breathe again **

**I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away**

She looked over to the flowers that were beginning to blossom to her right. Ron had tried to push the twins out of the way, but it was too late. Her tears began to well up again when she thought of the many times she could have jibed him into a fight in the past year. How he would rise to the challenge. She couldn't control her racking sobs when she realized she had no one to fight now.

Fight. A year ago she watched as her only true love began the fight of his life. He stood gallantly before the monster. She lifted her eyes to see the indentation in the earth where Harry stood for the last time. No one really understood that it was he only way to be rid of Voldemort once and for all.

**There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight **

**I wanna hold you high and steal your pain **

**'Cause I'm broken when I'm open **

**And I don't feel like I am strong enough **

'**Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome **

**And I don't feel right when you're gone away **

Ginny took in the scene before her one last time. She didn't know what emptiness was until that day. She had lost her best friend, her three favorite brothers, and the love her life. Her heart ached. She wondered if she would ever be the same. She was broken.

**'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome **

**And I don't feel right when you're gone away.**


	16. Fix You

_**Please play Coldplay's "Fix You" when you read this. This song is everywhere, just about it, and when I heard it today, I got this in my head. Not for a contest just enjoyment...Dedicated to Vampire-Exotica and every other Hermione/Severus ship lover! Simple, yet satisfying.**_

He stood back and watched her. She took slow, cautious steps. In what seemed like slow motion, she knelt down and softly caressed the hard marble. He wanted to tell her to stand. That it wasn't very dignified for a lady to be sitting on the ground, but exactly how dignified was this whole situation to begin with?

Hermione pulled the few stray strands of hair out of the corner of her mouth and wiped her cheek free of the tears that flowed rapidly down to drip off her chin.

**When you try your best but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want but not what you need  
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse**

Many times he had wondered what it would feel like to caress her cheek in a similar manner. To elicit a pleasurable moan instead of a hurtful one while biting her lip as she's doing right now. He wanted to taste her silky sweet flesh between his lips. This was neither the time nor the place.

**And the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone but it goes to waste  
could it be worse?**

She lifted her hand to place the roses in their places. One for each of them. One for Minerva. One for Ron. One for Harry.

He waited for her shoulders to stop shaking so violently. It seemed like an eternity.

**Lights will guide you home  
and ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you**

He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her hand to cover his. It was a simple gesture of comfort and caring, one which she accepted happily. Hermione took one more look at the stones in front of her. She tilted her cheek to lie on his hand. She needed to feel warmth. At this time, all she could feel was bitter cold. She could only feel death.

**High up above or down below  
when you're too in love to let it go  
but If you never try you'll never know  
Just what your worth**

His warmth against her skin told her that there was still life here. That there was something more than the loss of life and the destruction of futures. She was grateful for the reminder.

"Miss Granger?"

She looked up into his eyes.

"Yes, Professor. I'm ready."

"You may call me Severus."

She smiled softly. "Thank you, Severus."

"You're welcome, Hermione."

**Tears streaming down your face  
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes  
Tears stream down your face and I**

Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you


	17. You Don't Know Me

**_"You don't know me" by Willie Nelson, Lyrics by Cindy Walker. Heard this on the radio flipping stations and at first was going to do it as Ginny to Harry...but then my dark muse struck._ **

**You give your hand to me**

**And then you say hello**

**And I can hardly speak**

**My heart is beating so**

**And anyone can tell**

**You think you know me well**

**But you don't know me**

Three men stood alone in the cold winter air. They each had their reason to be there, but little did they know it was the same one. Harry Potter walked up to the marble statue and looked adoringly at it. He remembered that day on the train so many years ago. How the one that laid at his feet was always at his side, supporting him in everything he did. How he could count on his friend for anything. And when he realized what was staring him in the face, it was too late.

Harry kissed the tips of his fingers and laid them gently on that name emblazoned thereon the monument and walked away.

**No you don't know the one**

**Who thinks of you at night**

**And longs to kiss your lips**

**And longs to hold you tight**

**To you I'm just a friend**

**That's all I've ever been**

**No, you don't know me**

Draco approached the stone and knelt on one knee. He glanced at the name wondering if he ever had the courage to denounce his blood, would his name be there beside it. Instead, another name was carved amongst the swirls of black and white. Ron Weasley was there, in his place, beside her. After everything he did to her, Hermione had assisted in clearing Draco and Severus of everything. Time had passed when Draco, too, realized too late that he was in love with her.

**For I never knew the art of making love**

**Though my heart aches with love for you**

**Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by**

**The chance that you might have loved me too**

Severus watched as the two younger men took their places beside the portkey. Paying his respects first to her husband, Severus lowered himself to where Hermione laid six feet below. He wasn't sure how it happened but he knew he noticed the changes that occurred to turn her into a beautiful woman with an extraordinary mind. She challenged him. He always loved a good challenge. He loved her. He was going to tell her that night. He needed to be completely open with everything. He knew he was going die the next day. Alas, he didn't. She did. She died helping the man she loved and had eloped with the night before the battle. Severus looked at her name, Hermione Jane Granger-Weasley, and sighed. He tried to picture her face. The only image that appeared to him was the moment she shook his hand and told him goodbye as she ran out onto the battlefield.

**You give your hand to me**

**And then you say goodbye**

**I watch you walk away**

**Beside that lucky guy**

**to never, never know**

**The one who loves you so**

**No, you don't know me**

When the three of them began to reach for the portkey, the heavens opened and a ray of sunshine fell on her name. The clouds relaxed and released the snowflakes they held.


	18. The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore

_**Author note: Songfic for January Contest at the Hideaway (See profile for link)...Written to "The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore" by James Morrison.**_

Severus walked the nearby window and looked out across the cold darkness. The only warmth besides the fire in the hearth was the warmth in her eyes. It had been two months since she used her damnable intelligence and discovered his hideout. He hadn't trusted her to run back and not tell anyone where he was. He kept belittling her loyalty and confidences. He had been here since the night it happened; the night Albus died. In the last eight weeks, Hermione took everything in stride. Her strength and courage outweighed her foolish notion that she could help him. He realized that now. He would do right by her. He couldn't save Albus. He couldn't save himself. But he could try to do right by her.

_I've been twisting and turning in a space that's too small  
I've been drawing the line and watching it fall  
You've been closing me in , closing the space in my heart  
Watching us fading and watching it all fall apart_

He looks back the young woman asleep in the chair. The duvet was draped over her shoulders; her face was buried into one of the folds. He had to get her out of there. The Dark Lord was coming for him and he would kill her just as soon as look at her. He had to get her somewhere safe, then beg for his life to the Ministry. Maybe she would visit him in Azkaban. It was simply choosing the lesser of two evils.

_Well I can't explain why it's not enough  
Coz I gave it all to you  
And if you leave me now  
Oh just leave me now  
It's the better thing to do _

It's time to surrender  
It's been too long pretending  
There's no use in trying  
When the pieces don't fit anymore

_The pieces don't fit here anymore  
_  
He absently rubs the Dark Mark that had been burning for weeks. The snake danced for him. The dark contrast to his skin was intriguing to some degree. It was a beautiful design to represent something so hideous by nature. Severus knew he would have more marks. The officials at the Ministry was sure to beat him for information. And he would give it to them; everything he could possibly tell them about Voldemort. If it meant that she would be safe and he would be bruised and broken, then that was good. He would deal with it. He had to make sure that the Ministry knew of his regret and fear.

_  
You pulled me under so I had to give in  
Such a beautiful mess that's breaking my skin  
Well I'll hide all the bruises; I'll hide all the damage that's done_  
_But I'll show how I'm feeling until all the feeling has gone _

Well I can't explain why it's not enough  
Coz I gave it all to you  
And if you leave me now  
Oh just leave me now  
It's the better thing to do

It's time to surrender  
It's been too long pretending  
There's no use in trying  
When the pieces don't fit anymore  
The pieces don't fit anymore

His entire life has been one big puzzle piece after another. Where did he fit in? What was he going to do with his life? It all came down to this. It's been too long pretending he belonged with Voldemort or the Order. He had to make a sacrifice in order to save her. He had to choose where to put himself so that he could continue to feel for her. He had to keep feeling this emotion…this love. Yes, he gave her his heart. The moment he saw her come up the walk to the door. She came for him, to help him, to support him, regardless of what anyone else said or did. He knew that day where he truly belonged. Just, now, instead of being in this cabin catering to her every whim, he would belong to her behind five inch thick steel bars. Just a couple more months, when she turns of age, and he will tell her how he feels about her.

_Well, It's time to surrender  
It's been too long pretending  
There's no use in trying  
When the pieces don't fit anymore  
The pieces don't fit here anymore_

Hermione awoke to the sound of an Apparition. She was lying on her bed at the Burrow. How she got there, she didn't know. She found a note lying gently in her hand. She opened it and read the two words that made her realize what he was about to do.

Visit me.

She knew he meant in Azkaban. Only, his plan didn't work. Two hours later, the Daily Prophet was passed around the breakfast table. Hermione took in the headline.

"Severus Snape Kissed As He Enters Ministry!"

Hermione visited him as he asked…everyday…at St. Mungo's.

**AN: Disclaimer: All italicized words are lyrics and the property of James Morrison. I do not claim to have written them.**


	19. No need to argue

_**Author note: This was for a contest for the Hideaway. To write a story about a character having a fight with their mother to song of our choosing. This song is "No need to argue" by The Cranberries.**_

_**

* * *

**_All she wanted was a family. Ever since she was a small child playing in the backyard of her parents' estate she dreamed of having children. How was she to know that her dream would turn into her torture. He wouldn't allow her to be the affectionate person she longed to be. He wouldn't allow her to hold her son and love him like she was loved. She was to be a distant figure in his eyes, and thus, his life was forfeit. She was torn. Should she be a mother to her son, or be a slave to her husband's ideals? 

_**There's no need to argue anymore**_

_**I gave all I could**_

_**but it left me so sore**_

_**And the thing that makes me mad**_

_**Is the one thing that I had  
**_

The last time she saw him, they had exchanged words…harsh words.

"What are you saying?" Draco asked his mother.

She sighed and then slowly looked into his pale blue eyes…so much like his father's. "I can't stand this anymore, my dragon. I can't continue living this lie. I…I don't believe as your father does. I have no qualm about muggleborns or half bloods. I don't give one ruddy damn about Voldemort either!"

Draco visibly flinched then rushed his mother, holding his hand over her mouth.

"Are you mad, woman? How dare you say his name? How dare you speak it here? Do you want to die? Do you want me to kill you?" The words were spoken before he had time to think.

She looked at him with a narrowed brow. Draco realized what he had said and dropped his hand.

"You…you would…you would kill me?" she asked in shock. Her eyes were wide and searching his for some sign of a ruse or mistake. There was none.

_**I knew, I knew I'd loose you**_

_**You'll always be special to me **_

_**But they say it will work out fine**_

_**Was it all a waste of time?**_

_**Cause I knew, I knew I'd loose you **_

Her hand was quick to grab his arm. He flinched again, this time in pain. She saw this and immediately jerked up his sleeve. He had done it. He took the mark. Her face fell and her eyes began to pour; they poured the tears a mother would shed if her child had been killed, taken from her far too soon. And he had, in a way. His life was forfeit…now.

"Surprised? Did you not think that I would follow in my father's footsteps? You were never there for me! Why would you believe that I would feel the way you do? You allowed him to control me, my thoughts, my actions. This," he yelled pointing at his mark, "is your fault. And I hate you for it."

_**You'll always be special to me **_

_**Will I forget in time?**_

_**You said I was on your mind**_

_**There's no need to argue **_

_**No need to argue anymore**_

_**There's no need to argue anymore**_

_**Special**_

Narcissa stood slowly from the marble bench and laid eyes on the stone that bared the name of her only son. She blamed herself. She thought it best to obey her husband rather than stand up for her child. And so the argument became the last words she ever heard from his lips, the lips she longed to kiss goodnight as he lay his sleeping head on the pillow, but she held back every time scared that she would feel the wrath of her husband. For this decision, his life was forfeit.


	20. Everybodys Fool

_**AUTHORNOTE: This is a submission for The Hideaway's Songfic #2 contest. Please see my profile for the website link and visit us! **_

_**Song Credit: Evanescence, "Everybody's Fool"**_

Imagine, if you will, a lovely young woman sitting quietly at a lonely table with her black marbled tipped quill poised precariously over the exclamation point of her last sentence of sanity. The letter she had written was to her supposed friend and, yet, her betrayer. She had given her the sacred gift of knowing her secret…that she followed a new way of thinking; a blood purist's way of thinking.

_Perfect by nature  
icons of self indulgence  
just what we all need  
more lies about a world that_

She was stunned to say the least when the Headmaster pulled her out of reverie in library one day to ask her a simple question. He had asked if she had decided to accept a cursed fate and brand herself amongst those that would oppress a society of muggleborn witches and wizards. He said nothing as she held her chin high with pride and smiled wickedly.

_never was and never will be  
have you no shame don't you see me  
you know you've got everybody fooled_

Of course, this was just the façade she gave him. Inside, she was tumbling faster and faster into a deep turmoil. How could she have betrayed her? How could she have taken her friendship and trampled it into the cold lonely abyss of distrust? But that's how her life has always been; full of untrustworthy people who would rather dispose of her than to give her an ounce of respect or maybe even…love.

_look here she comes now  
bow down and stare in wonder  
oh how we love you  
no flaws when you're pretending  
but now i know she  
_

So when HE came to her, her arms were opened wide with acceptance, for he respected what she was and what she could do. He respected her interests and her true value. And possibly on some sick distorted level even showed her a kind of love which was better than the nothingness she had. But she thought that had changed when she realized who her best friend was. Yet, she was another failure in the string of disappointments that was her existence. She would forever be alone.

_never was and never will be  
you don't know how you've betrayed me  
and somehow you've got everybody fooled  
without the mask where will you hide  
can't find yourself lost in your lie  
_

She rolled the parchment and placed upon the crease her new family crest, a skull and a writhing snake. Slowly and painstakingly she made her way to her room, tossing the scroll haphazardly onto her ebony night stand as a constant reminder that she can trust no one… not even herself.

_i know the truth now  
i know who you are  
and i don't love you anymore_

She sat upon her bed and looked towards the mirror barely recognizing her own visage. Her hair was now tangled and her face was pale. Her eyes were wild and her overall countenance was that of a crazy woman. If she couldn't trust herself to keep her secrets hidden, than who could she trust? She could trust HIM.

_I'm going under  
Drowning in you  
I'm falling forever  
I've got to break through  
So go on and scream  
Scream at me I'm so far away  
I won't be broken again  
I've got to breathe I can't keep going under_

She picked up the ink pot that scripted the letter she had written to herself and tossed it into the glass, successfully shattering it and the image that it held. It was the last time Bellatrix would look upon the face of the only friend she would ever have and could never trust.

_it never was and never will be  
you're not real and you can't save me  
somehow now you're everybody's fool  
_


	21. Never Alone

**_Author note: Songfic Contest Submission for the Hideaway. See link on my profile. Written to "Never Alone" By Barlow Girls. I do not own the characters or the song and intend NO copyright infringement. DEATHLY HALLOWS SPOILER ALERT!!_**

The sun's rays were peering over the horizon but not yet blinding. The streets were quiet as he walked on the cobblestones, the clicking of his heels soft yet loud. His pace was slow and steady, and yet he felt as if he might fall. Many times he took this journey with someone walking beside him, but today he is alone.

_I waited for you today_

_But you didn't show_

_No no no_

_I needed You today_

_So where did You go?_

_You told me to call_

_Said You'd be there_

_And though I haven't seen You_

_Are You still there?_

His eyes scanned his surroundings. Usually the area was bustling with people, but today they were occupied elsewhere. He knew this because he just left those people. Too many hands touching him, too many faces looking at him as if... No, he mustn't think on that. It was just too much. Too many…too many.

_I cried out with no reply_

_And I can't feel You by my side_

_So I'll hold tight to what I know_

_You're here and I"m never alone_

He carried with him a memory. He had many, but this one was his prized possession; a picture of the two of them smiling, standing amongst friends. He knew they would help him through this, but he needed to do this on his own, alone. He had never been alone.

_though I cannot see You_

_And I can't explain why_

_Such a deep, deep reassurance_

_You've placed in my life_

_We cannot separate_

_'Cause You're part of me_

_And though You're invisible_

_I'll trust the unseen_

He unlocked the door and walked into the dark room. The sun had yet to break through the dust on the windows. He went to a small round table and picked it up. With his wand, he made room in the middle of the floor. He placed two yellow roses in a vase and then set the picture beside them. He conjured a spotlight to shine down on their faces. This was his own memorial. How ironic that sounded to him. He touched the frame delicately and took a step back to make sure everything looked as it should. He knew in his heart that his brother would hate this. "Have a party!" he knew he would say. But George also felt that he needed this… this small dedication. He looked one more time at the picture.

"Well, Gred," he said softly. "Looks like you got out of counting inventory again."

_I cried out with no reply_

_And I can't feel You by my side_

_So I'll hold tight to what I know_

_You're here and I"m never alone_


End file.
